Behind business success stories are some troubling community trends

Joan White needed just four words to remind us that we have a lot of work to do to make Hawaii a paradise for all its residents.

"The need is greater," she told PBN reporter Linda Chiem for a story that appears on Page B33 of today's issue.

White is executive director of the Honolulu Community Action Program, winner of the Cades Foundation Nonprofit Leadership Award.

That organization was among 32 businesses, groups and executives honored Thursday night at PBN's 2007 Business Leadership Hawaii awards dinner. They're all profiled in Section B today and for the most part it's a section filled with good news.

But then those four words jump off Page B33 to temper the celebration.

White was referring to homelessness, a growing problem in a state that touts its almost full employment -- a job for everyone who wants one. How can that be?

White's response: "The number of people who might have been middle-class are now becoming part of the poor population because of rising costs of housing and [unchanging] wages."

Dick Grimm agrees. As chief executive of Hawaii Foodbank, he's also seeing a greater need for his services -- and for the same reason.

He admits that his evidence is anecdotal, but the people who run the 260 agencies that distribute Hawaii Foodbank food are seeing more demand and faces they haven't encountered before. They're being told that escalating rents are either forcing people into the street or squeezing the family budgets to the point that they can't afford groceries.

Grimm says donations are up 12 percent this year, but that the food is quickly going into the field. And most of the people who are relying on that food have jobs.

Hawaii Foodbank actually is being hurt by the state's low unemployment. The federal government, which supplies about 13 percent of the food, bases its allocation on a formula that measures poverty levels and jobless rates. Grimm says the impact of low unemployment on the formula is approximately 500,000 fewer pounds of food this year.

If you're hoping for some good news in all of this, you'll find it throughout Section B. A common trait among all the honorees is their dedication to community service.

Bank of Hawaii, a Community Spirit finalist, focuses much of its time and resources on the housing problem. Chaminade University of Honolulu, a nonprofit finalist, considers public service to be part of becoming an educated person. Chef Alan Wong, a Business Leader finalist, uses his culinary expertise and contacts to raise money for nonprofit organizations.

Fortunately for Hawaii, the list goes on and on.

The bad news is that terrible things are happening to good people in a healthy economy. The good news is that business leaders and community organizations are teaming up to do something about it.